ARTIST RESIDENCY

DAY TEN (September 21, 2016)I must say that thus far my visit to the city of Chefchaouen (pronounced Chef-Sha-Wen) has been a amazing highlight. The older part is known as the "Blue City" and is about 1 hour away from Tetouan by taxi. The roads are curvy as we travel the base of the Rif Mountains. Here people still create in a traditional way. They make bread and bring it to the baker to cook. They can be seen in their shops crafting, by hand, leather shoes and bags; weaving beautiful tapestries; taping out intricate designs on brass trays; carving wooden boxes and honey-dippers, and painting amazing images of the "Blue City" right there on the spot. I bow my head to these craftsmen and women who are daily making these intricate wears and maintaining long-standing art traditions.People come to Chefchaouen from all over the world. Some people here think I am Arib-ee (as they say) or Moroccan. I believe it is my ancient connection to this land of Africa (A-free-ka) that they see in me and I am deeply humbled to be seen as one of their own.